A hearty recipe for Pan Fried Blade of Beef with Creamed Potatoes & Forestiere Sauce.
Ingredients
Beef
- 2 x 2kg leg-of-mutton cuts of beef, tied
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
Potatoes
- 6 large potatoes
- 125g salted butter
- 300ml double cream
Sauce
- 250ml white wine
- 3 shallots
- 50g each butter & plain flour, blended to form beurre manié
- 35-40 button onions (frozen work best)
- 8 rashers shredded cooked bacon
- 15 button mushrooms, sliced
Method
Begin preparation the day before serving. Preheat the oven to 160°c. Place the beef in a large pan, cover with water, and add the carrots, leeks, onions, bay leaves and a few black peppercorns and salt.
Bring to the boil on the stove, cover, and braise in the oven for two to two and a half hours. Use a fork to check that the meat is done: it should glide through with no resistance; when prodded, the meat should just start to fall apart.
Remove the meat from the liquid, wrap in cling film and cool, then put in the fridge. Strain the liquid and return to the heat until it has reduced by half, then refrigerate (this will form the base of the sauce).
On the day, peel and chop the potatoes into even sized pieces, place in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and boil. When soft, mash with the butter and cream and season to taste.
For the sauce, chop and sweat the shallots in a saucepan. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half. Add a litre of the retained stock, bring to the boil and thicken by whisking in the beurre manié, then pass through a sieve. Fry the button onions, bacon, and mushrooms until golden brown and add to the sauce. Season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 160°c. Unwrap the beef and slice into even sized steaks about 1cm thick. Heat a frying pan and fry the beef in plenty of salted butter: the beef will soak it up. Season with salt and pepper; turn over when golden brown and repeat. Transfer to the oven for 12-15minutes.
To serve, place a ring of mash in the middle of the plate with beef on top: ladle sauce over the top. Buttered green beans are an ideal accompaniment.
